It’s 3am and the alarm goes off! I have to be on the bus by 4:00am. For me… that means not only getting dressed but that I also need to eat and drink coffee! So I am in a rush to get it all done. I run out to the bus line just in time for 4am! And 4am is chilly! For some races, almost freezing for this warm blooded Southern girl. Even though when I run I get very hot and sweaty, the seemingly endless walk to the corrals and the hour or more standing in the fog can chill me to the bone. The one thing that saves me is layering! And you can do it in really creative ways!
The important thing about layering is to focus on target
areas: hands, head, arms and chest. If you are just dealing with morning
coolness, your approach will be light.
If race day is going to be cold – and I have run on the coldest day ever
in Disney World – then your approach will require more layers. You must remember that you need to be able to
get rid of the layer if it’s making you hot – whether that means tying it around
your waste or tossing it aside.
I like to put layering in categories…
1.
Disposable
Dump in the garbage can at the water stops
Garbage Bags
-Easy to Find
-Cut arm holes if you need to run with them for a while
-Great Wind Breaker
-Great Rain Coat
- Lawn and Leaf Bags are the best
Mylar Blankets
-inexpensive
-sporting goods stores or online
-** Beware: Can’t cross the starting line because they
interfere with the timers and your chip
Disposable Running Clothes
-high-tech
fabric that provides a durable and ultra-light outer layer of protection.
-Water-Resistant,
Wind-Proof and Warm
-Average
$10 for each top and bottom
-tear
away easy
-plan
ahead
-have
seen at Expo but wouldn’t count on it
2.
Donate-able
Real
Clothes that you toss aside: Disney will gather and donate to charity
-Thrift
Store finds/Closet finds
-Sweatshirt
-Sweatpants
-Long
Sleeve Shirts
-Oversized
-Socks/Gloves
3.
Costume-able
Build
your costume with layers
-armsleeves
-tights
-knee
socks
-gloves
/ hard warmers
-thin
undershirts
However
you decide to layer, plan ahead, pack for it, and be ready so that you won’t be
panicking last minute!